Inspiration cruise + anyone want onboard coupons?

[jikan11]

Hey cruisers,

 

I just got back from a honeymoon cruise on Carnivals Inspiration. I wrote a review so you can read about my experience on board. We learned an important lesson, that is that my wife and I are not the cruising type, at least not on Carnival boats. We recieved a photo coupon ($15 value) and set of bar drink coupons (2 left) and have no use for them anymore since we won't be cruising on carnival again anytime soon. If anyone is in need of these coupons in total it's about a $24 value (1 photo, 2 drink) and I'd be willing to sell them for $10. If anyone is interested let me know!

 

Some may ask why I don't travel carnival again, the reason IS NOT because carnival is a bad company or the ship was bad. Carnival actually did a decent job and we did have a good time on board, but in the end it wasn't for us as we don't drink much, gamble or socialize all that much. We much prefer to stay somewhere on the florida coast and soak up the sun! :) We were disappointed at the beaches in the ports we went to, but that wasn't carnivals fault. Did get some great shopping done at Carnivals recommended stores!

 

Also, some people have been asking if George the Greek is still on the Inspiration, I can confirm that he WAS working on the Inspiration on the 10/9 cruise.

 

Below is a copy of my review that you can find posted on Cruise Critic!

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First off, this was my first cruise along with my fiancee, it was our honeymoon cruise and we found out we are not "cruisers".

 

 

We had shopped around for a honeymoon spot and decided after seeing many Carnival commercials to give cruising a chance. So, we started looking for ports around Destin Florida. We found the port of Tampa and saw that the day after our wedding the Inspiration was leaving for a 5 day cruise to Grand Cayman and Cozumel. We booked it!

 

Once we arrived in Tampa we went to the port at 12:30pm, we had a Cat-12 suite so we went to the VIP line and was processed and on the boat within 5 minutes, bypassing the long lines. This was a great service and we expected to see more "perks" for suite renters on the boat. We were disappointed in the end.

 

The ship itself (Inspiration) I have read is a fairly old ship, however I was impressed at how well it was maintained. Everything was clean, they were always dusting, painting, repairing somewhere on the boat. While it was old it was much nicer then some reviews I have read would lead you to believe. It does have an old Vegas style look to it, but it is clean.

At 1:15 we went to find our suite and it was ready for us so we went inside. We wanted to have "luxury" so we opted for a cat-12 penthouse suite onboard, the room was nice and very large compared to the other rooms we saw on board. It came at a much higher cost then the other rooms on the ship which was expected.

 

There was always something going on while on that boat, we decided not to partake in most of the activities because we just aren't "cruise" people, we don't drink and are not very social. We love to spend time with one another so we did a lot of walking around, exploring and some shopping. We were always passing some interesting event like fear factor, comedy shows, port talks, bingo, etc. No lack of activity.

 

The one aspect of the cruise that was disappointing was the service we received. It was decent, however we thought that being in one of the most expensive rooms there would be perks. There were none other then VIP boarding. Our room steward never introduced himself to us and never asked if we needed anything. In addition there was trash from the previous cruise on our balcony and after a few requests and 2 days later I finally had to get a plastic bag and pick up the cigarette butts and empty drink cups from our balcony. Our room was very dusty and other then the bed being made we didn't see much else happen.

 

Other service issues were in the main dining room, when we booked the cruise we requested early seating and a table for 2 since it was our honeymoon. Neither request happened, we got late dining and were at a shared table. Like I said, we don't socialize much so we opted to skip the dining room and eat in the brasserie most days. On board the service was good, but it wasn't what I would expect when renting a suite.

 

We did dock at two ports, first was Grand Cayman. We actually tendered, not docked. Grand cayman was interesting but somewhat disappointing in terms of the beach. Since we were only in port for 6 hours we wanted to make the most of it, so we opted to have a local taxi take us to the beach and then we were going to eat lunch and do some quick shopping. The taxi driver took us to 7 mile beach and we were charged $4.00 per person for the ride (not a bad deal!) and then when we tried to get on the beach we were charged $18.00 per person just for beach access and a chair! The beach itself was dismal, not much sand and what there was covered in rocks and coral. I am not sure if we just got a bad patch of beach or not, but it wasn't the "tropical beach" we had imagined it would be. After the beach we left and couldn't get a cab so a local from the beach offered to drive us back to the hard rock cafe, he seemed very friendly so we went with him after a short conversation. His name was Willie, a black man with a heavy Jamaican accent and he is extremely friendly and happy. The whole way to the Hard Rock he pointed out saying "yesterday dat buildin wan't dare" saying he came to the island in 1978 and all these buildings were new. We arrived at the Hard Rock and Willie said he was glad to drive us and didn't ask for a dime, I tipped him $8.00 anyway for the ride and he gave us his phone number and said if we needed a ride anywhere else let him know! After that we ate lunch at the hard rock and then went shopping. I bought a Citizen watch and my wife bought a watch and some perfume, we saved about $150 in retail plus whatever taxes would have been by buying the items on the island and not in the states.

 

After Grand Cayman we went to Cozumel and docked at the falling down international pier. Boy that was miserable! As soon as we docked we were swarmed with flies on board, every dining area was covered and it made eating on board a miserable experience after that port! But in Cozumel itself it wasn't great. We wanted to go to the beach (yes we are beach people!) and the only beach we could go to was part of a shore excursion for $90 per person, not worth it for us. Instead we got off the boat, shopped for a few minutes and were back on. Cozumel itself for us was terrible. If you are looking for Mexican goods, then go and be happy! But it was hot, there was a big fence and if you went beyond it you were on your own in terms of safety, and they didn't recommend taking taxi's that were not part of shore excursions. We just didn't feel very safe leaving the dock area so we were back on the boat in no time at all.

 

Briefly to discuss our stateroom, we were in U90 and it is a cat-12 suite. We had a lot of room, I was surprised to see how large it actually was. Walking in we had 2 twin beds pushed together to make a queen, and it was the hardest best I had ever slept on. In fact we didn't sleep on it much at all. There was also a sitting area with a small sectional couch that was very comfortable so my wife and I spread out on it and slept their most nights. Carnival is talking a lot about comfort beds, either our suite was missing it or the comfort beds are terrible! In addition to the bed and couch we had a small fridge and it was in desperate need of being defrosted, the ice compartment was a solid block of ice. We also had a VCR and TV, room safe, jacuzzi bath tub and shower, large walk-in closet plus the private balcony. The room was very nice, only complaint was the bed in terms of furnishings. I would recommend brining egg crates, an aero bed or something else to sleep on because you'll have to go to the Carnival Spa for a massage because it will break your back.

 

When it came to getting off the boat, the Disembarkation process was pure chaos. We opted the self assist where you carry your own bags off the boat. We were told at the Disembarkation talk that at 7:30 it would start and they would make an announcement when it was time to start. We waited on our balcony and saw people at 7:10 getting off the boat. We were confused so we grabbed our bags and headed to deck 7 and was shocked to see that almost everyone on the boat was in line and they were getting off! No announcement was made, nothing.

 

In summary, the boat itself was great. It was very clean, food options everywhere (Loved the 24 hour Pizza and Ice Cream!) And the ride itself was smooth. The ocean was incredible to see the shades of blue that it was and we even saw dolphins many times. There is a lot of onboard activities but if you aren't a social person, a drinker or a gambler then perhaps a cruise is not for you as we learned! Also, if you are looking for beaches, don't count on these two islands unless you are willing to fork out big bucks. Only go if you are looking for great deals on high end goods and alcohol. Everywhere I looked people were having a great time, and we did have fun ourselves (want to make that clear!) Just make sure that cruising is definitely for you and you know what you are in for! I read some of these reviews and we weren't sure, but in the end, we are glad we opted to go. We won't do it again anytime soon, but it is an experience everyone should have! I do warn you however, don't get a suite because you get the same attention and service in the cheaper rooms that a suite provides. We would have loved to get priority on and off the boat, reserved seating at the nightly shows, and personal steward service. Suites only offer larger rooms with private balconies and that is it! We will not cruise with carnival again, we may opt for a different cruise line for an Alaska cruise, but carnival just didn't impress us nor did they have the luxury we were looking for in spending as much as we did on our suite.

[seashell36]

I'm sorry you had such an unpleasant time. There are people that cruises are just not meant for. Next time you may want to try an all inclusive resort (such as Sandals).

Cozumel can be a wonderful port - if you know what to do. I'm sorry that no one suggested you go to Paradise Beach. It is wonderful! Great food, service, beach - it's basically got it all. But, the island itself did take a big beating last year. It was almost flattened by Hurricane Wilma (I think).

From one Tennessean to another I hope you have a happy married life! Congratulations!

[Litewait]

We cruise Carnival and have always had a good time. Soory to here you were unhappy. Email me at Litewait@aol.com. And we can set up the exchange!

 

Happy Cruising~ Next Time for you I hope:)

[GottaLuvCruising]

Congratulations on your wedding!

 

So sorry you were disappointed in the cruise experience. I'm not aware of any line that reserves show seats for suite guests. I've been to Seven Mile Beach several times and never paid a few...I think your driver took you to the wrong place. Despite your disappointment, I appreciate the balanced review.

 

It does sound like an all-inclusive might be a better choice for you. Cruising isn't for everyone.

[girlsonlycruisin']

:( Sorry your cruise was less than enjoyable for you newlyweds. We were on Inspiration last November and loved it! We didn't make it to Cozumel because of the hurricane destruction and ended up in Port Progresso. That was not a great port, but we made our own fun. And....we have some great pics of George the Greek. Glad he is doing fine. Wish he was going to be on our January cruise on Sensation.

 

Anyway, I'd love to take the coupons off your hands for $5.00, as long as there isn't an expiration date prior to 1/12/07. I'll even send you a self addressed stamped envelope.:D

 

Hope your next vacation is everything you hope for!

[Peaceful]

Congratulations on your marriage. I'm glad you enjoyed your time together, even if not the cruise itself. My husband and I were married on the Paradise 6 1/2 years ago. It was then that my husband realized he is not a cruiser either. He did not enjoy the crowds of people, is not a gambler, and was too seasick every living minute of the seven days we were there to drink. I always say we got the worst week of our marriage out of the way the first week of our marriage. That being said, I love to cruise and my sweet DH never minds if occasionally my sister and cousin and I go. In fact, we went on the Inspiration last May and had suite U80. For us, it was great.

 

Hope you find a vacation on a nice beach somewhere that you will enjoy. I don't have personal experience at this place, but if Belize is your cup of tea, look online for a place called Coco Plum Cay. I'll bet its right up you alley! In fact, here is a link. http://www.cocoplumcay.com/ It is a place on our life list of destintions.

 

Bonnie

[Mooguy]

Hey cruisers,

 

 

Briefly to discuss our stateroom, we were in U90 and it is a cat-12 suite. We had a lot of room, I was surprised to see how large it actually was. Walking in we had 2 twin beds pushed together to make a queen, and it was the hardest best I had ever slept on. In fact we didn't sleep on it much at all. There was also a sitting area with a small sectional couch that was very comfortable so my wife and I spread out on it and slept their most nights. Carnival is talking a lot about comfort beds, either our suite was missing it or the comfort beds are terrible! .

 

 

Your room must not have had the new beds in it yet. We were on the Liberty last November and the beds were great but I think the bed we had on the Sapphire Princess was a bit nicer.

[intothisfire]

hello,

im sorry to hear you had a bad time,

i am going on a carnival cruise and could use those coupons.

respond here and ill PM u my email.